these beauties were not yet picked up for the holiday and I wondered ... where do they go?
I love a fresh evergreen just like the next person but am always conflicted about the sustainability of it all. Even if sourced from an organic tree farm what are the pros and cons of having a live tree during the holiday? Obviously it is a gorgeous to look at and take in that unmistakeable fresh pine smell (no candles needed!) but what was the environmental impact of it coming to our living room? In general the main concern lies in the pesticides that can be used to prevent the pest problem common on many tree farms. The good news is more and more farms are turning to natural forms of pest control and ultimately a fake tree has more hazardous forms of chemicals inside the materials that are emitted into the environment (i.e. your living room!) And a study was done recently that said you would have to use that fake tree for 20 years in order to have the benefit of it being more environmentally friendly than the yearly live one. Something to think about! Of course the real take away is to find a farm that is as local as possible and that uses organic methods. And do note it does not need to be certified organic (something that actually costs a good deal of money) it just needs to be pesticide free. And lastly be sure to look up when tree collection is in your area to be sure it gets used for mulch or compost and not put into the general garbage mill. I was told that the ones above would go to mulch if not snatched up in time. Let's hope!